I loved you once, She loved me twice
by Cecethebrownie
Summary: Draco had love,love that he thought he never deserved until one day he was left with no more than a reminder of it. Now he lives and breathes for that reminder when one day he is given another chance at love. Will he take it or is too late for him? Can Draco find love and redemption among the people that he lost it?
1. An unexpected letter

It was a Friday like any other, except that it wasn't. For it was the Friday that Draco Malfoy received an owl. One might wonder why this was a special occurrence. Surely someone with the stature and position of a Malfoy was used to receiving owls. And he was-except not this particular kind.

Draco Malfoy's secretary was used to sorting through a massive pile of letters and packages left by owls every morning. Most of them were from France, where Malfoy Inc. was located. His personal mail, if any, always went to his home, which was in a rather affluent arrondissement of Paris.

This Friday, however, he received a letter all the way from a town in Devon called Ottery St. Catchpole. Therefore, Mr. Malfoy's secretary felt it prudent to inform him of this unusual occurrence, lest she incur his wrath at a later time.

"Mr. Malfoy, you've received an owl from England." Draco looked at his secretary as if she was crazy.

"Then deal with it. It's what you're paid to do, isn't it?" he sneered.

He carried on walking towards his office when she spoke again. "I think...I think it's from...your in-laws, sir," she says hesitantly.

He paused at the door. _Interesting_ , he thought. He took the simple scroll from her. It was no more than a foot long and tied with a red ribbon.

He shuts the door behind him and casts a few privacy spells so as not to be disturbed before gingerly opening the letter.

It had been five years since he had heard from the Weasleys. The last time they had exchanged any form of communication was to inform them of the death of his wife years ago. He never got a reply. They hadn't even shown up for the funeral.

He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised since they had stopped speaking seven years previously, when they had eloped. He had known her family would be furious, but they only realized that there was no hope of a reconciliation when they had declined to meet their grandson. For this reason, Draco was slightly apprehensive as to what the letter would contain. He knew the Weasleys valued family above everything else and he admitted it was somewhat of a shock when they did not make any attempts to acknowledge their grandson. He cast a few spells, checking for any hexes, just in case. When it was clear that it was harmless, he finally opened it.

To his surprise it only contained a few lines and a shrunken picture of some sort. He enlarged the picture only for it to cast a hologram. He decided to read the letter before activating the hologram. Hologram messages were usually used as invites. It was a new technology, all the rage among the wizarding elite.

 _Malfoy,_

 _I am as surprised to be writing this letter as you must be reading it. The war has taken away many things from me. I was unable to get many of them back. Thinking about it made me realize that I was also losing things that I didn't have to._

 _I propose that we let bygones be bygones. Attached is my wedding invite. I hope you will be there along with your son. It won't be easy, but we are willing to try. I hope you will too, at least for the sake of your son, if not your own._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Harry Potter_

Draco then played the hologram which contained the smiling (creepily according to Draco) faces of Harry Potter and a dreamy blonde who he recognized as Luna Lovegood cordially inviting him to their wedding at the Burrow.

Draco was stumped. He knew what Potter was implying when he mentioned Scorpius. The only family Scorpius had now was Narcissa and him. Lucius had died of a mysterious illness after the war. Narcissa was surprisingly strong but there was a part of her that would remain broken forever. For all his evil ways, Lucius was an attentive husband.

And so it was just his mother and himself until he met the love of his life. Surprisingly, it was her that got Narcissa to start living again. She started taking her out, whereas his mother was confined to the Manor before. When the Weasleys refused to accept them, they had eloped to France and began a new life there and were joined by Narcissa shortly after. Occasionally his aunt Andromeda and Teddy would drop in. Harry was offering Scorpius a larger family. A family that he should have had much earlier but hadn't, because of Draco.

The possibility of returning also brought up memories of the past and his late wife. Draco sighed and decided to put off the decision until he got home and was able to discuss it with his mother. He removed the spells from the door just in time for his secretary to announce the first meeting of the day.

"Mother?" Draco called out.

"Outside, Draco!" He heard her response from the garden.

He dropped his briefcase and jacket on the couch in the living room before walking out the doors that connected the garden to the house. His mother was having tea with her sister, Andromeda, while Scorpius played nearby. He decided to start with Scorpius.

"Dad!" Screamed Scorpius as he ran towards his father. He lifted his son off his feet before kissing his hair.

"Hey Scorp! How was your day?"

"It was great! Miss Adeline made us color dragons. Mine was green because it's my favorite color. Do you want to see it, dad?" His son asked, his gaze so like his mother's - brown so warm(cheesy as it sounded but truly) it had melted Draco's frozen heart.

"Maybe later. Why don't you play some more?"

"Okay," said Scorpius with a huge grin, and ran away. He certainly didn't get the cheerfulness from his father. Shaking his head, Draco walked over to the table in the middle of the lawn.

He greeted his aunt and mother with a kiss on the cheek before accepting his mother's offer of tea. His mother waited until he took a sip before asking, "So, I presume you got an invite too?" With a delicately arched eyebrow.

"Yes," he nods, surprised that his mother was invited as well. She was as much a stranger to that family as him, if not more. He appreciated Harry's thoughtfulness in sending his mother an invite too. It meant he was accepting the family that Scorpius had now.

"Are you planning to go, Draco?" His aunt asked him casually.

"I don't know. Maybe," He took the letter out from his pocket and passed it onto her. "Of course my main concern is Scorpius. Even though Potter makes it seem like they are ready to accept him, what if they reject him once they see him?"

His aunt understood what he meant. Scorpius looked exactly like a younger Draco except for his eyes. He had his mother's eyes. "I think that's a risk you have to take, Draco. I visit Harry to drop off Teddy every week and he always asks about the both of you. Hermione, too. Most of the Weasleys do too although in a far less obvious manner. They obviously regret how they dealt with things and are looking for a new start. If they do accept him, Scorpius will have a much larger family that cares for him."

Draco silently agreed as he turned to watch his son play. Although he hadn't said anything, he knew his decision was made. They would return to England for the wedding. For Scorpius. It was what she would have wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! This is from Hermione's POV with a surprise ;)**  
 **I hope you enjoy it! Please read and review  
As always I own nothing that belongs to J.K**

"Harry!", Hermione Granger greeted her lifelong best friend with a hug and a peck on the cheek. "Hey Hermione! Little early even for you isn't it?" he asked. It was barely half past seven.

"I could say the same," she retorted playfully.

Harry simply sighed and said, "I sent Malfoy the invite yesterday." Hermione nodded in understanding. "So did you get a reply?" she asked, as anxious as Harry, if not more though for entirely different reasons.

"Not yet. But I'll let you know when I do. I have to go. See you at lunch?"

Hermione nodded and waved at him before turning around to walk to her own office. The reason for Hermione's anxiousness was that the response to the letter Harry sent would determine whether she would see the love of her life again. Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age, in an action that would no doubt question the title she was given, fell in love with Draco Malfoy. Though a superior prat and the bane of her existence for all her school years, seven years ago, it was a case of love at first sight, if one could ignore all the years prior.

Draco had, in a surprising turn of events, apparently defected, a truth that only came to light when he jumped in front of a _Crucio_ curse meant for Hermione during the Battle of Hogwarts. Once his true allegiance was revealed, he had started fighting for the right side, even parting with his wand when he realized Harry didn't have one after his near-death experience. The love at first (or thousandth) sight happened during the aftermath of the Battle. She could remember the scene clearly even now, nine years later. She had been standing near the entrance to the Great Hall, wanting to give the Weasleys some privacy as they grieved Fred's death. Harry was nowhere to be seen, probably being congratulated by someone or other. That was when she had seen Draco walk in. She had thought that he probably had never looked as disheveled in his life, but to Hermione, he had never looked better. It hadn't hit her until then that she had been saved, by him of all people. A war was never safe, but it was mind-boggling that Draco of all people had been the one to take a curse for her. In that moment, she saw him in a whole new light. A light she would soon come to know as love.

It wasn't until she overheard talk at the Ministry of him freeing his House-elves that she admitted that she had a massive crush on him, although a nagging inner voice told her it was more than that. Hermione Granger could be the queen of denial if she wanted to. The first time they spoke after the war when they ran into each other at the Ministry was decidedly awkward, with apologies (from his side) and gratitude (from her side) but once they got past it, with her asking him how he was faring now that he had no House-elves, the ice melted. She clicked with him in a way that she never had with anyone before. Since then, they had spoken only a couple of times, usually when they came across each other either at the Ministry or at Diagon Alley, where Draco's father's company was. It was at the annual Christmas Ministry ball that she finally admitted to herself, that her crush was no longer just a crush but full-fledged love. It was also the night that she realized that her love would always be unrequited.

She finally made up her mind to tell Draco of her feelings that night. Although she was nervous, she wasn't about to back down now. After all, she was nothing if not a Gryffindor. Putting on a new wine colored evening gown that she had bought especially for the occasion and a smattering of makeup, she spritzed herself with her favorite perfume and travelled by Floo powder to the ministry.

She started looking for Draco as soon as she got there, but spotted her friends first. "Hey Ron,

Harry! Where's Ginny?" she asked, smiling.

"I don't know! She said she'll meet us here," said Harry. After the war, Harry and Ginny had decided that they were better off as friends. While they kept their distance at first, two years later they were even better friends than they were before. Hermione suspected that Harry actually had a new crush although she didn't know on whom it was, as he would frequently zone off, smiling.

"I'm going to get a drink. Do you want anything, 'Mione?" Ron asked her with a smile. Hermione simply shook her head and gave a small smile.

Hermione wandered over to the balcony while Harry and Ron went to get drinks. Hermione knew Ron fancied her. He had harbored hopes that their impromptu kiss in the Chamber of Secrets would lead to something more, even though she had explained that it was a spur of the moment action, rather than a declaration of love. She sighed and discreetly tried to continue looking for Draco.

"Looking for someone Hermione?"

Hermione jumped a little and turned around to face Ginny. "Ginny! Where have you been? You look gorgeous!" said Hermione, hugging the youngest Weasley. And gorgeous she was in a deep green velvet dress that showed off all her curves before floating down in lithe layers

"Thanks, and so do you! But you still haven't answered my question!" Ginny replied teasingly.

"Um...nothing like that - _oh my gosh!_ Is that a ring?" She suddenly squealed, noticing the bling on Ginny's left ring finger.

Ginny blushed and nodded.

Hermione was ecstatic for her friend, and slightly miffed that she hadn't known about a mystery man before now. "So who is he?"

"Now Hermione, I know this is slightly shocking but I know you've spoken to him after the war and I know you know that he's not all bad. Just please promise not to freak out because he makes me very very happy. My family is bound to do that and I just really need at least one person on my side," Ginny said, her eyes pleading.

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay," she said, trying to prepare her heart more than her mind, since she had an idea of who it could be.

"It's Draco Malfoy," Ginny said, so fast Hermione almost missed it. And then it hit. For a few seconds Hermione stood with her mouth slightly open, but then she remembered what Ginny said about needing at least one person on her side. And then she did what she had always done, put her friends first _._

"I won't say I'm not shocked, Gin, but if he means that much to you then I'm happy you're happy. Now, details!" Hermione said with a smile.

"Oh Hermione! Thank you!" She whispered, wrapping her arms around Hermione.

"Everything okay, love?"

Ginny and Hermione turned around to find Draco watching Ginny, a look of concern on his face. It made her heart break into a few more pieces. Hermione knew then that her love would forever be unrequited, for no one but a man deeply and irrevocably in love could look at a woman the way Draco was looking at Ginny.

"Yes," said Ginny, smiling and moving to his side. He slides an arm around her waist, pulling her close. She leaned up to peck him on the cheek and said, "Let me just say goodbye to Harry and Ron, and then we can leave." He watched her until she was out of sight. Hermione felt the tears begin to well in her eyes, but kept them at bay by focusing on Ginny's happiness.

"I believe congratulations are in order, Mr. Malfoy!" Hermione said, smiling at Draco.

"Thank you!" he nodded happily, beaming. Hermione could not seem to remember ever seeing Draco smile. He looked a little more human and less like a Greek god when he smiled. Her heart broke a little more as she fell a little more for him.

Draco's smile faded. He said to Hermione earnestly, "And thank you for what you said to Ginny. It means a lot. I know I haven't been the best person before but I am trying to change. For her. I hope we can put our pasts behind us and start over."

"Of course," Hermione responded without hesitation. "I can see that you've changed, Draco. Ginny wouldn't have spared you a second glance if you didn't. Friends?" Hermione asks, extending her hand for Draco to shake. _Friend-zoned, by my own volition,_ thought Hermione bitterly.

Shaking her head as if it would dispel the thoughts, Hermione got started on the paperwork on her desk. She worked in the Muggle Liaison Division of the Ministry, which included a ton of paperwork but no actual _work_. Her dream was to become a Healer, but with war and then the rebuilding, she hadn't had time to go for the training. Dwindling finances meant she had to take the first job she was offered. Her mother had always said she would go far in life, but perhaps it wasn't meant to be. Here she was, single, stuck in a dead end job, and not particularly rich. Hermione sighed at how her life turned out and got back to paperwork, brushing away depressing thoughts and only taking a break to grab a sandwich with Harry in the cafeteria.

Just as she was about to put on her coat and leave for the day, Harry came barging into her office. "I...I got...a...a reply" he said, breathless from running. "I didn't want to miss you leaving," he said sheepishly, as an explanation once he caught his breath..

Hermione only shook her head and asked, "And?"

"Oh! I thought we could open it together." Harry didn't know of her love for Draco, but since it was her idea to send Draco the letter and invitation, he was simply being thoughtful.

Just as she was about to open it, he said abruptly, "Wait! I forgot to check for spells."

Hermione looked up at him slowly and said, "I don't think we should, Harry! I know it seems silly but I think if we don't trust him, then there's no point trying to do any of this."

"You're right," he said, agreeing. He gestured for her to open it.

 _Potter,_

 _Thank you for the invite. Please expect the three of us to be there for the wedding._

 _We will be there on the 15th and will be staying with Andromeda Tonks._

 _Best,_

 _Draco Malfoy_

"The 15th? That's ten days too early," Harry said, surprised.

"I think he wants to give us all time to get used to everything" Hermione said, understanding Draco's logic.

"Right!" Harry said, after falling silent for a moment. "I guess we have our work cut out for us."

Hermione nodded, trying to mask the myriad of emotions her heart was feeling. _The 15th,_ she thought. _That was only ten days away._

"I'll see you tomorrow for dinner, Harry. Please apologize to Luna that I couldn't make it today. It's just that I want to be alone tonight."

"Hermione, we get it! You don't have to explain," he said, squeezing her hand. She smiled before heading towards the Ministry lobby.

Tonight was her mother's birthday. Both her parents had died in a car accident a year after the war. Hermione had only seen them a couple times since she returned their memories and just when she thought she had them back, she had lost them again.

Taking out the tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream from her freezer, she turned on the television and settled in for the night.

It wasn't until the following evening as she was getting ready for dinner with Harry and Luna that she thought of Draco. The last time she saw Draco was five years ago, at Ginny's funeral. Her and Harry were the only people who responded to his invitation. None of the Weasleys even mentioned it although she had a sneaking suspicion that not all of them were aware that they had been issued an invite.

She put on a little makeup, some mascara and clear lip gloss before she finished her look with a string of pearls. The pearls were a gift from Ginny several years ago. Ginny had been Hermione's only female friend all through Hogwarts and even after. Even now it hard to reconcile a life without her to the reality she was living in. Thinking of Ginny bought Draco to mind again. She had never seen anyone as devastated or broken as Draco was on that day.

While his face had been a carefully constructed mask of nothingness, his eyes had told an entirely different story. It was unnerving to see someone usually so stoic display such emotion. That day Hermione had cried for more than the loss of losing her best friend. She had cried for Draco, and the infant he was holding in his arms.

She wondered what their son looked like now. Did he have grey eyes, or brown? She knew he had blonde hair from when she had seen him at the funeral. If her estimation was right, he was about five years old now. She wondered what kind of a father Draco was. Still thinking, she headed to the modest three storied brick house Harry and Luna lived in. It was in the countryside halfway between London and the Lovegood's home.


End file.
